Beginning in 2016 and with funding from the National Science Foundation, the Rural and Diverse Student Scholars Program at George Mason University supported two cohorts of diverse undergraduate students from rural Virginia in their pursuit of a STEM degree. A holistic program design and individual components aimed to combine to support student…

This study examined the factors that predict the likelihood of a first-time freshman (FTF) student retaining and graduating in a timely manner at the University of Kansas (KU) based on their perceptions of the frequency and quality of student-faculty engagement, with an emphasis on exploring differences between underrepresented minority students…

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is an international college-preparatory program that offers two levels of participation: IB diploma candidate and IB course candidate. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in college-related outcome achievement between these groups so that students and…

With the large discrepancy between the undergraduate graduation rates of Hispanic students and students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds, it is both an equity issue and an economic imperative that higher education institutions focus on retaining Hispanic students. This qualitative phenomenological study seeks to understand the barriers and…

According to Donavan (2014) National Center for Education Statistics shows 8.4 million enrolled in higher education in 2010 were nontraditional learners, and the projected enrollment will reach 10.3 million by 2021. Adult learners will constitute over 41% of post-secondary students in the next five years. Institutions have seen an increase in…

Summer Bridge Programs (SBP) provide students with academic and social resources that build a support network to facilitate college transition, yet research has focused on quantitative studies. The purpose of this study was to identify how the Summer Bridge Program (SBP) at a predominantly white university (PWI), CU Boulder, helps Latinx…

The purpose of this single phenomenological case study was to examine the importance of an FYE or College 101 seminar and why this topic matters to Latinx students' success. The research took place in a two-year Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located in the Southwest part of the United States. The overarching question was: "How can…

This exploratory, descriptive study examined trends associated with Kalamazoo Promise (KPromise) student stop out, reenrollment, and persistence to a credential upon reenrollment. For the 2006-2017 cohorts, 78% were retained from first to second year. Inferential models suggested that first-year stop out was mainly correlated to students' high…

Increasing 4-year graduation rates among US students, particularly those historically disadvantaged in higher education, is a national imperative. The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of the multifaceted Research Aligned Mentorship Program in advancing the academic success of low income, first generation college, and minority students…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to utilize a comprehensive 9-16 dataset to quantitatively examine which pre-college credit programs are the most significant predictors of college achievement as defined by college GPA, first to second year retention, time to degree and graduation date. A qualitative analysis was conducted, which via the…

This Innovative Practice Category Work In Progress paper presents an application of machine learning and data mining to student performance data in an undergraduate electrical engineering program. We are developing an analytical approach to enhance retention in the program especially among underrepresented groups. Our approach will provide…

Consistent increases to the educational costs to attend the University of California are the current climate students and families find themselves grappling with. The federal work study program is one program employed to support students and their families in financing the cost of education. In an effort to further enhance the professional…

Interviews with faculty, administrators, staff, and students at four engineering programs reveal the role of undergraduate student employment on retention and timely degree completion among engineering students. Dueling narratives reveal how student approaches to earning an engineering degree differ greatly from faculty, administrator, and staff…

What started as an activity valued for its oversight, the work of academic advisors have become a means leading to other ends, such as retention, student engagement, student satisfaction, persistence, and time to degree. The purpose of this research was to identify the essential characteristics of academic advisors; this was achieved by asking a…

This report reviews a study to identify individual factors that affect adult learners' success and persistence in college programs. Part 1, a historical analysis, uses past records of students to analyze patterns of persistence and success. It examines how demographic variables relate to continuing enrollment, grade point average (GPA), and degree…